CHALKLEY, CHALKLEY, CHALKLEY… OUT, OUT, OUT

September 18, 2009

In this week’s mass email, the No To Bike Parking Tax campaign has confirmed to all its 6,000+ supporters that Westminster City Council introduced their motorcycle parking tax illegally. The Council breached the European Union Directive 2004/18/EC by awarding the pay by phone parking contract to Verrus UK Limited, without tender. If the bike parking tax in Westminster is made permanent (a decision has yet to be made by Councillor Chalkley), the Council will be taken to the High Court by the campaign for breach of the above mentioned EU Directive. This is a very serious issue, which could potentially compromise the entire Westminster City Council’s parking strategy. But even if Councillor Chalkley scraps his bike parking tax now in fear of being taken to the High Court, the campaign is determined to make sure that this man is out of Westminster City Council by no later than May 2010.

Below is an extract of the latest mass email sent by the campaign to its 6,000+ supporters:-

We are informed that an official complaint has been lodged with the EU Commissioners accusing the Member state of the UK & Northern Ireland of failing to “fulfil its obligations under Community Law as Westminster City Council tendered for and awarded a framework contract to a single operator for the provision of pay by phone services for parking in violation of Directive 2004/18/EC“.

The details set out in the complaint have provided us with a vital insight into how Verrus UK Limited were illegitimately preferred and we are now keener than ever to see Cllr Chalkley announce the scheme to be made “permanent” thereby giving us the opportunity to expose all our findings in the High Court.

We are slowly establishing a pattern of breaches of both WCC’s [Westminster City Council’s] own Code of Procurement as well as the EU Commission’s Code, with regard to contracts simply handed out by Messrs Gilchrist & Chalkley to:-

and aim to use these breaches to establish the impunity with which these individuals conduct themselves both “un-scrutinised” by Cllr Harvey’s Scrutiny Committee & “un-monitored” by Peter Large and his internal legal team.

In addition to its mass email, the campaign also sent a letter to Westminster City Council’s Chief Executive, Mike More, to make him aware of its findings. Download a copy of the letter here. At the time of writing, a response from Mr More is awaited.

With the Westminster local elections in May 2010 fast approaching, the purpose of the next demonstration (scheduled for 30th September 2009, details here) is to make Westminster residents aware of Councillor Chalkley’s illegal actions to introduce the Verrus pay by phone system, which has been used to stealth tax motorcyclists for parking.

Thousands of protestors will, according to the campaign’s latest mass email, be leafleting the Vincent Square Ward residents through letter boxes and on vehicles with a simple message:-

“By all means vote Conservative, but DON’T vote for Danny Chalkley – there will be 2 other Tory Candidates more worthy of your vote. Visit…” (Website URL to be confirmed).

Oh well, with all respect, we wish best of luck to Councillor Danny Chalkley in his career going forward!

Please join and support the legal fight to get the bike parking tax in Westminster scrapped before it spreads all over the UK and the European Union. The next demonstration is on 30th September 2009, don’t miss it! For further details,visit http://www.notobikeparkingtax.com/